One in six convenience stores continue to sell disposable vapes, despite them having been outlawed more than two months ago.
Just under £400,000 in disposable device sales went through the tills of the convenience channel last week, according to EPoS data from Convenience Data UK (CD:UK), powered by Talysis, and shared exclusively with The Grocer.
The data found overall vaping category sales – covering legal refillable kits and pod systems – was down by £2.5m compared to before the ban was introduced at the start of June.
“Amongst other challenges currently being addressed by retailers, it’s clear that some are still trying to sell through remaining stock, albeit the vast majority of stores are now complying with the ban – and no doubt taking a hit on sales,” said Ed Roberts, MD of Talysis.
Some regions have been hit harder than others. While nationally the convenience channel has taken a 10% hit to overall category sales, stores in Northern Ireland have seen sales plummet by 19% and Scottish stores an 18% drop. Several retailers The Grocer has spoken to have seen sales fall by as much as 40%.
The data – based on sales data from thousands of independent and symbol convenience stores across the UK – indicates that many shoppers are using the lawful, refillable and rechargeable vapes as if they were disposable.
“The sales of e-liquids are virtually static over the last 12 weeks, suggesting consumers are opting for convenience and just buying a new kit or pod each time rather than using e-liquid to top up,” Roberts said. “So it feels like there’s still a long way to go to change consumer behaviour.”
The finding that 16% of convenience stores continue to shift unlawful disposables has appalled law-abiding store owners.
“Shops selling disposables illegally are driving a problem for us. I go into some shops when I’m out and see that they still have some old stock for sale, but whether this is a business choice or they don’t understand the ban is another question,” said Best-one retailer Kay Patel.
“Our total vape sales were down 25% last month compared to July 2024. The decline is a lot less than we anticipated which is a relief, but that could be down to us having navigated the ban effectively and making sure we have the right range and alternatives for our customers.”
One retailer who wished to remain anonymous said they had seen vaping category sales fall by close to 40%.
“Vapes were doing a great job at balancing out the high operating costs that retailers are facing. After the vape ban came in, we thought we’d see consumers move from disposables to the new rechargeable and refillable ones, but the demand just isn’t there,” an independent retailer told The Grocer.
“The concern is that it is still very easy to buy disposable vapes from shops illegally which is why we’re not seeing our sales recover. These shops are taking our legitimate business away from us,” they added.
While most disposable vaping brands have released within-regulation devices that match the convenience and price of disposables, it appears consumer demand for the grab-and-puff devices remains strong.
A survey conducted by the Scottish Grocers Federation (SGF) this month found 31% of retailers said staff are being asked for single-use vaping products at least once a day, while a further 18% reported it happening at least once a week.
“It’s clear that many members of the public do not realise that the ban on disposable vaping products is now in force. So, it’s unfortunate that retailers have been left with the job of explaining to customers the new rules,” said SGF head of policy & public affairs Luke McGarty.
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